My Journal My Therapist

Have you ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed?  Of course you have!  We all have.  You know the drill.  Your alarm sounds extra annoying that morning, you drrrrag yourself out of bed and everything and everybody is rubbing you the wrong way.  You don’t know why, but you’re just in a foul mood that day.  Well, there is a reason why.  Something is bothering you, it’s just a matter of taking the time to figure out what exactly.  And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where a journal comes in!

When I wake up feeling that familiar orneriness or it creeps up on me throughout my day I stop whatever I am doing and grab my journal and a pen.  I start to write.  Usually it begins a little something like this; ahem, “life suuucks”… or, “can somebody please shoot me in the face right now?” or “really, God?  I thought we were cool.”  You get the idea.

In the beginning I find myself complaining and whining about one thing or another.  I indulge myself in the cloud of anger or despair that is floating above my head at the moment.  I’m talking real pity party here, guys.  But then, something happens.  I’m not quite sure how, but suddenly a word or a phrase catches my eye and then, it all starts making sense.  I understand why I am feeling so angry, so frustrated, so sad.  The fog clears and I get it.

Sometimes this is followed by intense emotions surrounding the issue, that I didn’t even know I had.  I don’t fight the feelings.  I let them fill me and I feel them.  I have definitely written many a journal entry through tears.  But it’s all worth it, because inevitably, as I write and gain clarity and awareness, the dark cloud hanging over me lifts.  I feel light again; like myself again.  The anger and frustration has subsided.  The thoughts of murdering people seem so unappealing now.  I’m back baby!

Another great benefit of journaling is having a record of things in your life.  The reality is most of us have a horrible memory.  As a result, we tend to exaggerate things from our past and make them seem so much bigger than they really were; or we diminish our accomplishments and tell ourselves that our success isn’t really that big of a deal.  When you can go back and relive the mind frame you were in at the time, you can really appreciate your successes and accomplishments and use that as inspiration for creating even more success; or you can more easily let go of old hurts and wounds that were not as serious as your faulty memory led you to believe.

My journal has helped me get rid of so much baggage that I didn’t even know was there, let alone affecting my life.  There has been not one time that I have gone to my journal to make sense of things and did not finish with a clear mind and new awareness.  Without fail, I always get peace, clarity and a solution.  There will be times when that angry voice in your head tells you that journal writing is a waste or that you don’t have time for this.  DON’T LISTEN!  Your peace of mind is never a waste.  Your peace of mind is worth taking some time out of your day to achieve.  Trust me.  You’ll feel so much better if you make the effort, than if you just push the feeling down and try to ignore it.  It might seem to go away, but it’s just hiding until it decides to rear it’s ugly head some time in the future.

Also, did you know that writing about traumas and the like boosts your immune system?!  Talk about another great benefit.  Check out this article for more info about this.

Clear your mind.  Get a journal and write!  You’re mind, heart and immune system will thank you.

~p~